Changes to improve access to all parts of the library will be finished this spring.
There is a delay in the arrival of an elevator to better connect the lower level, which contains the Terrace art gallery, with the main floor but construction of a fully-accessible washroom is on schedule, says head librarian Margo Schiller.
The shaft area for the elevator is ready for when the elevator does arrive, she added.
"All the additions to the front have to do with the grant we received for accessibility," Schiller said of a $50,000 grant from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada's Enabling Accessibility Fund.
If another community grant from Western Economic Diversification Canada, a federal agency, comes through then library patrons will have an upgraded adult reading lounge to kick back in with their favourite books.
The plan for the reorganized west wing includes an array of seating options for book readers and laptop users. Removing current shelving along the walls will provide space for a local art collection and a fireplace, Schiller said.
The atlas and map resources are being moved to another area on the main floor, and some of the other archival material will be distributed in the general collection.
Schiller predicts that upgrades will increase the number of library visitors, especially with regards to the gallery downstairs which will now be accessible to people who are unable to take the stairs.
In December the library installed a self-serve checkout system at the south entrance with money made available through the city.